Is Donald Trump improving the lives of Americans?

Searching for recent data on how Trump's policies are affecting Americans.

Whether Donald Trump is improving the lives of Americans is contested and depends on which metrics and sources are cited. Recent polling and economic data show widespread public dissatisfaction, while the White House points to gains in jobs, wages, and other policy areas.

What public opinion polls show

•An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted Oct. 9-13, 2026 found Nearly half of Americans, 48%, say they are "not as well off" financially as they were when President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, and Only 18% of respondents said they were financially better off.

•The same poll found Trump's approval rating falling to a personal low of 33%.

•An AP-NORC poll found that only 17% of U.S. adults approve of the Republican president's handling of the cost of living. Just 26% approve of his handling of the economy overall, marking a new low.

•A majority, 65%, of U.S. adults now blame Trump's policies for persistently high costs more than factors outside of his control.

•Overall, about three quarters of voters disapprove of how he is handling the economy (74%) or the cost of living (79%).

Pollsters link the dissatisfaction to affordability concerns. The ABC/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found 71% describing gasoline as unaffordable in October 2026 compared with 28% in February, and majorities also calling groceries, health care, and rent/mortgage unaffordable.

What economic indicators show

•Perceptions of high prices are supported by some national data: U.S. headline CPI inflation rose 3.7 percent year-on-year in September, and Despite 60 consecutive months of sub-4.5 percent unemployment, the average real wage is down 1.2 percent from its November 2025 peak.

•At the same time, other indicators are cited as positive. For example, one analysis noted throughout the first nearly two years of Donald Trump's second term, the stock market has risen more than 30 percent, while unemployment has remained low. However, the same report noted voters don't see the economy as strong because inflation remains stubbornly high.

What the Trump administration claims

The White House argues its policies are delivering benefits:

•Since September, the private sector has gained 121,000 jobs, while the federal government has shed 168,000 jobs.

•Since taking office, President Trump has added 687,000 private sector jobs.

•Between January and November 2025, 2.7 million native-born Americans gained employment.

•Americans' real wages are on track to rise by 4.2% in the first full year of the Trump Administration.

•In a September 2026 summary of accomplishments, the administration claimed:

•The U.S. murder rate fell to a historic low in 2025 — the lowest level in 125 years

•President Trump is the first President in modern history to actually lower prescription drug prices — delivering the biggest drop in 63 years

•Tax cuts including No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, No Tax on Social Security

•More than $11 trillion in new U.S. investment secured

Bottom line

•Supporters point to private-sector job growth, rising real wages (per White House data), tax cuts, lower prescription drug prices, record domestic energy production, and declines in violent crime and illegal border crossings as evidence lives are improving.

•Critics and recent polls point to persistent high costs for groceries, gasoline, health care and housing, with pluralities saying they are financially worse off than at the start of the second term and majorities disapproving of Trump's handling of the economy and cost of living.

As a result, there is no consensus among Americans or among economic datasets on whether lives are improving overall — views differ sharply by party, income, and which issues respondents prioritize, with the economy and cost of living rated as top concerns heading into the November 2026 midterms.

Citations (4)

1ibtimes.sgNot yet classified
Nearly Half of Americans Say They're Worse Off Under Trump, Hi...
Backs: “What public opinion polls show. An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted Oct. 9-13, 2026 found Nearly half of Americans, 48%, say they are "not as well off" financially as they were when President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, and Only 18% of respondents said they were financially…”
2ap.orgNews and mediaquality 0.69
Most Americans blame Trump for high prices as his economic approval hits new low, AP-NORC poll shows
Backs: “adults approve of the Republican president's handling of the cost of living.”
3whitehouse.govGovernment
Private Sector Job Growth Fuels President Trump’s Economy
Backs: “What the Trump administration claims. The White House argues its policies are delivering benefits: Since September, the private sector has gained 121,000 jobs, while the federal government has shed 168,000 jobs.”
4whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years
Backs: “In a September 2026 summary of accomplishments, the administration claimed: The U.S.”